Eucharistic Miracles and Modern Man

Many today are subservient to what Pope Benedict called the dictatorship of relativism. I have my truth and you have your truth goes the dictum. But to the inquiring mind, questions must be asked: Is that really correct? Can someone claim to have their own truth even if someone else claims a truth that is contradictory to it? Or does One Truth define all things?

The answers to these questions can be found by looking carefully into eucharistic miracles. In the oldest verifiable eucharistic miracle in recorded history--in the 8th century in Lanciano, Italy--a Basilian priest was doubting the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. When he was offering Mass, the Eucharist was transformed into flesh and blood, the muscular striated tissue of the myocardium to be exact. Scientific tests in the 1970’s and ‘80’s showed the blood type was AB from this tissue. 500 years later, in Orvieto, Italy, another priest was doubting the Real Presence and witnessed a Eucharistic Miracle—a host started to bleed on the corporal. Testing by scientists in the mid-‘90s revealed it too was blood type AB. (1)

 
Of the approximately 158 Eucharistic Miracles recognized by the Church, all show the same AB blood type. Nursing professor Rick Becker sums up what science has learned:

 The Eucharistic miracles that have been investigated by the Church throughout the centuries —those times when the Eucharistic species have turned into visibly human flesh and blood —all seem to point in a different direction. When subjected to blood type analysis, these miraculous remnants seem to indicate a Messianic AB blood type, which is consistent with similar studies on the Shroud of Turin. (2)

 Since the discovery of blood types began in the 20th century, forgery of these astonishing events is ruled out because distinguishing blood types was an unknown science when the Lanciano and Orvieto miracles took place. Specific blood types could not be identified in the past centuries when these events happened and so the skeptic is left with results that are consistently showing us the AB blood type for these Eucharistic miracles.

Another telling piece of scientific data surrounding the eucharistic miracles is that the specimen of myocardium flesh is fresh as if taken from the person that day. In the Lanciano case, the archbishop initiated a modern scientific study to be done. Dr. Edward Linoli, Director of the hospital at Arrezzo and professor of anatomy, histology, chemistry and clinical microscopy submitted his report Mar 4, 1971. Among other details, Dr. Linoli learned: “Like the blood, the flesh is also fresh, living tissue, because it “responded rapidly to all the clinical reactions distinctive of living beings” as if the flesh and blood samples had been taken that day” (3)

 
Three eucharistic miracles that have been put through the most rigorous scientific studies occurred in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1992, 1994, 1996); Tixtla, Mexico (2006); and Sokólka, Poland (2008). (4) In Buenos Aires, the investigation was done by eight scientists from four continents. Dr. Robert Lawrence, a top histopathologist, whose focus of study is tissues, discovered human skin and white blood cells in the eucharistic tissue. “He stated in an interview that the white blood cells were living at the time they were collected, even though they normally die within two hours after being taken from a body.” (4) Again the inquiring mind must ask why the white blood cells were alive when normally they die outside the body in a short time?

Scientists in Italy, Australia and the United States--that studied the specimen from Buenos Aires—confirmed that it was heart tissue and noted the presence of white blood cells. (5) Dr. Frederic Zugibe,

a renowned cardiologist, was not told where the sample came from until after the investigation:

 It was inflamed and had white blood cells, meaning the heart was alive and pumping when the sample was taken. The heart showed signs of being under severe stress. When told that the sample came from a consecrated Host, Zugibe was speechless. (6)

 
Reflecting on the movie The Passion of the Christ--based as it was on the Gospels and the private revelations of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich—can help illustrate the severe stress the heart and body of Jesus Christ endured for our redemption and how this is being brought to light by scientific analysis of eucharistic miracles today. In these scientific studies, the Gospel is being re-told again, the price He paid for us all.

 
It would be a mistake not to mention, in this article, the young man who left us his research on eucharistic miracles. It has been seen all over the world. Blessed Carlo Acutis developed the international exhibition of Eucharistic Miracles for people to see. This exhibition is inspiring and thorough. If you have not been there or perhaps not been there recently, here is the site: www.mircolieucaristici.org It is so very uplifting to read captions and see photo’s of these miracles and it will boost your faith. Carlo gave the world a great gift in his exhibition.

 
Another man that has given the world a treasure trove of spiritual riches is Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S. J. He is the President of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith, has done a lot of good work in the area of eucharistic miracles but he “reminds us that a Eucharistic miracle occurs every day, at every Holy Mass across the world, when the substance of bread and wine is transformed into the substance of Jesus’ body and blood.” (7) Eucharistic miracles can strengthen faith and even cast out doubt and unbelief. They are sent from heaven. Yet we must remember that the Mass is the place where we experience the greatest of all gifts and receive the eucharistic miracle within our very lives. And the Eucharist transforms us—making us more like Jesus. And what can be greater than that!

1. “The Divine Blood Type: Revealed by ‘Coincidence’ of Eucharistic Miracles?” by the Editors 5-28-2016 Churchpop www.churchpop.com

2. “Eucharistic Miracles and the Divine Blood Type” by Rick Becker 5-17-2018 National Catholic Register www.ncregister.com

3. “The Amazing Science of Recent Eucharistic Miracles: A Message from Heaven?” by Jeannette Williams 11-3-2021 Ascension https://media.ascensionpress.com

4. “Three Eucharistic Miracles: Which Cases Have Undergone the Most Extensive Scientific Analysis?” by Sabrina Ferrisi 6-11-23 National Catholic Register www.ncregister.com

5. Ibid

6. Ibid

7. “4 Approved Eucharistic Miracles from the 21st Century” by the Editors 8-9-2024 Magis Center www.magiscenter.com